|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Articles
|
||
|
Articles |
2005 in York and LeedsDateline: 27th December, 20052005 was a good year for theatre in the York/Leeds area. York Theatre Royal's main house productions included Ayub Khan-Din's East is East, a Japanese-themed Macbeth, Noel Coward's Hay Fever and a handsomely mounted Importance of Being Earnest. There were plenty of bustles and high-heeled boots on display in Hobson's Choice, but just for once star Berwick Kaler wasn't wearing them… An interesting selection of visiting shows included Northern Broadsides' The School For Scandal, English Touring Theatre's Hamlet and Ensemble Theatre's The Uninvited. The Grand Opera House in York played host to Telstar - the Joe Meek Story, Journey's End and Going Dutch, a welcome return to form by John Godber. The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds started the year with a bang with a fine production of A Doll's House. It was followed by CJD drama The Lemon Princess, Twelfth Night and a revival of My Mother Said I Never Should. Visiting productions included the Out of Joint/Royal Court Talking to Terrorists and two more Northern Broadsides shows, The Comedy of Errors and Sweet William. Ridiculusmus did some extraordinary things with The Importance of Being Earnest and Kneehigh Theatre set their stamp on the legend of Tristan and Yseult. I try to visit Stratford Upon Avon at least twice a year and was delighted to see that the RSC is making a steady recovery from its artistic and economic problems. At the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, As You Like It was the most captivating production of this play I've seen for many years. It was also amazing value for money, as I saw the understudy performance for a mere three quid! The Swan Theatre's Gunpowder Season rescued some remarkable plays from centuries of oblivion - the highlight for me was Greg Doran's production of Ben Jonson's tragedy Sejanus. It's not easy to choose two local and two touring/national shows but here goes: Damien Cruden's production of Hobson's Choice at the Theatre Royal proved that you can't keep a Northern classic down and also reminded us that Berwick Kaler does exist outside the panto season. Sarah Punshon's imaginative and moving production of Charlotte Keatley's My Mother Said I Never Should at the West Yorkshire Playhouse confirmed the play's status as a modern classic. I'm torn between the many excellent touring productions on offer during 2005, but I'll plump for R C Sheriff's Journey's End (still reducing audiences to tears seventy-six years after its premiere) and Robin Soans' riveting and thought-provoking Talking to Terrorists. J D Atkinson
|
|
|
|